Idaho Fish and Game is investigating the illegal killing of a trumpeter swan in Bear Lake County.  In the afternoon on Saturday, April 1, Senior Conservation Officer Kolby White received a report of a dead swan floating in the Bear River near the bridge on Pescadero Lane west of Bennington.

White retrieved the bird from the river and discovered it had been shot– most likely that morning or mid-day. Multiple rifle casings were recovered from the bridge.

“It is a senseless killing, and not the first animal to be shot, killed, and left to waste recently in this part of the region,” said White.  “From a bald eagle shot in Bern last fall, to a mule deer in the Oneida Narrows last month, to this trumpeter swan– there have been several animals shot without reason and left to waste.”

Officer White doesn’t know if these incidents are related, but he does believe that people out there know about one or more of these cases.

“I am asking the public to report anything that seems out of place, even if it is not directly tied to one of these cases… it just might help,” White said.

Those with information or a possible tip should contact the Southeast Region Fish and Game office at 208-232-4703 or the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999.  Callers may remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward for information that leads to an arrest.